Garbage bag holder



y 25, 1955 J. M. FLEMING 3,185,339

GARBAGE BAG HOLDER Filed Aug. 6, 1963 John MFleming' IN VEN TOR.

BY QMLQZQM United States Patent F 3,185,339 GARBAGE BAG HOLDER John M. Fleming, 9720 SW. Murdoch, Tigard 23, Greg. Filed Aug. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 300,251 7 Claims. (Cl. 22065) This invention relates to garbage containers, and more particularly to a holder for temporarily reinforcing a disposable garbage bag during accumulation of garbage therein,

It is quite common practice among housewives to utilize a paper bag, disposed under the kitchen sink, for the accumulation of garbage, and then to transfer the bag to a large garbage can for ultimate disposal. 1 The paper bag oftentimes is used without any surrounding support, or it is fitted into a box or metal container for reinforcement. When unsupported, the paper bag tends to collapse.

for transfer to a garbage can, without rupture of the bag.

A specific object of this invention is the provision of a garbage bag holder in which separation of' the garbage filled bag from the holder is efiected by sliding the reinforcing wall of the holder upwardly from'around the garbage bag while the latter remains supported upon the detachable bottom of the holder. 7

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of a. garbage bag holder of the class described which may be constructed of inexpensive material and thus is economically expendable, and yet is sufficiently strong and durable to afford repeated use with a substantial number of successive garbage bags.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will 'appear' from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a garbage bag holder embodying the features of the present invention and showing the manner in which the components thereof are assembled;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the components of FIG. 1 in assembled condition, a portion thereof being broken away to disclose details of construction and assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2 and showing the manner in which the holder bottom is releasably secured to the holder side wall by one form of locking means; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIG.

3, showing a modified form of locking means by which' the holder bottom and side wall .are releasably secured together.

' In its general concept, the holder of the present invention comprises a hollow container wall open at its top and bottom ends and releasably closed at its bottom end by a bottom member which is releasably secured to the bag with the latter still resting upon the bottom member.

The filled garbage bag then is lifted, with or without the underlying bottom member, for deposit in the garbage can. Thereafter the container wall and bottom member are reattached and a new disposablejgarbage bag is inserted into the holder for subsequent accumulation of garbage.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the container Wall of the holder includes the opposed side walls 10 and 12 and end walls 14 and 16, the latter being providedwith finger openings 18 to facilitate carrying. The container wall is rectangular .in shape, to accommodate the conventional paper bag 20 which, when unfolded, is of a rectangular shape corresponding to that of the container walls.

' In the embodirnent illustrated the container wall is made of inexpensive cardboard, corrugated or uncorrugated, and is capable of being collapsed at its corners to substantially flat condition. The cardboard preferably is Waxed on its inner surface for water proofing as well as facilitating cleaning and reducing its frictional contact with the paper bag. It will be understood, however, that the container may be made of plastic, metal'or other suit able material, and may be permanently shaped to circular or other suitable form.

The bottom member of the holder fitsfreely within the bottom end of the container wall. In the embodiment illustrated, the bottom member is rectangular in shape, corresponding to the rectangular shape of the container and is formed as an integral unit by the vacuum screen molding of paper pulp, in well known manner. It is provided with a bottom 22, an upstanding peripheral wall 24 and at least one intermediate partition wall 26. This construction provides a plurality of shallow compartments 28 adapted toreceive fluids which might be included in the accumulation of garbage in the bag. In this regard it is desirable to provide the bag 26 with a plurality of openings 30 in its bottom 32, to facilitate the passage of fluids from the bag to the compartments. By this means fluids are drained from the paper bag, the bottom of which 'rests upon the upper edges of the upstanding peripheral and partition walls of the bottom member, thereby avoiding excessive deterioration of the bag. To prevent such fluids from escapingaround the periphery of the bottom member, the upper edges of the peripheral wall 24 preferably is offset laterally outward, forming a peripheral flange 34 on which to rest the paper bag, and a peripheral wall extension 36 is projected upwardly therefrom to surround the bottom end of the paper bag, as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

Means is provided for releasably securing the bottom member and container wall together in such manner that the container wall may be removed upwardly from the bottom member. In the embodiment illustrated, this means is provided by a groove 38 which extends transversely across the bottom member'on the underside of the latter and intermediate the ends thereof, for registration with aligned openings 40 provided in the side walls 10, 12 adjacent the bottom ends thereof. A rod 42 is receivable freely through the alignedopenings and groove and is of sufficient length to project beyond the side walls. When thus installed, the bottom member and container wall are secured together against downward displacement of the bottom member. The openings 49 may be reinforced by metal grommets to prevent collapse of the card board, if necessary or desired.

Although the groove 338 permits displacement of the bottom member upwardly through the container wall toward the open top end, this displacement generally is of However, if it is desirable to secure the bottom member against displacement in either direction, the groove may be replaced by an opening which extends transversely through the peripheral wall 24, of the bottom Patented May 25, 1955 provided with a pair of notches 44 spaced apart longitu dinally the, same distance as thespaced side walls and 12, and proportioned in width slightly greater than the thickness of the side walls. The notches thus are capable ofcreceiving the side walls therein, when the notches face downward as illustrated in FIG. 3, whereby to lock the rod tofthe side walls and thus prevent longitudinal displacement of the rod.

To release the rod for retraction, it is rotated 180" from the position illustrated in FIG; -3, whereupon it may be retracted from the openings 40. i

It is to be noted in FIG. 3 that the vertical depth of the groove 38 is slightly greater than the distance from the top side of the locked rod 42 to the bottom edge of the side walls It} and 12. Thus, when the'assembly rests' upon a floor or other support, the weight of the accumulated garbage in the bag is impressedupon the floor,

through the bottom member, rather than upon the container sidewalls through the rod 42.

The modified form of locking mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4 replaces the rod 42 with a pair of catches '46 one The outer portion 54' of the arm extends upwardly along" hole slot, but is larger than the bottom, restricted portion 69 of the key hole slot. Thus, the arm' assembly is installed removably on the container side wall by aligning the head 58 with the enlarged portion 6t) of'the key hole slot and the .catch 46 with the associated opening 52.

Both of said elements then are moved inwardly through the openings and then the assembly downward. The pin 56 thus enters the restricted .portion .60 of the key hole.

slot and the-downwardly projecting portion 48 of the arm is positioned against the inner side. of the. container side wall. The catch 46 thus projects inward into, a groove 62 provided in the bottom side of the bottom member.

Inthis regard the groove 62 need not extend completely across the bottom member in the manner of the groove 38 associated with the rod 42. V 7

Since thecatch arm assembly is removable from the container wall, the component parts of the holder are readily collapsible to minimum size for convenient packaging for shipment and storage.

Alternatively, the outer portion 54 ofthe catch arm may be made of flexible material, such as cloth, plastic, paper or metal foil, permitting the catch46 to be moved upward for alignment with the opening 52 for installation andremoval. In this case the flexible outer portion 54 of the arm may be secured permanently adjacent its upper end to the container side wall, as by adhesive, rivet,

thebottom member defining the spaced compartments 34.

After a sufficient quantity .of garbage has been accumulated in the bag, the entire assembly is carried, by means Y to have weakened the garbage bag considerably, the botscribed hereinbefore'without departing from the spirit of:

this inventionand the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having 'now described my invention and the manner in which it may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A garbage bag holder, comprising a hollow upstanding' container Wall open at its top and bottom ends and adapted to receive a garbage bag therein, a bottom memher having a bag-supporting surface and proportioned to fit within and releasa-bly close the bottom end ofthecon tainer wallpand locking means supported 'by the container wall and projecting retractably inward thereof belowthe bag-supporting surface of the bottom member for releasably securing the latter against downward movement relative to the bottom endof the container wall, the

container wall and bottom member being relatively movable upon release of the locking means to permit separation of the containeriwall upwardly away from the bottom member and from around a garbage bag resting on the bottom member.

2. The garbage bag holder of claim 1 wherein-the container wall isrectangular in shape and collapsible at its,

corners to substantially flat condition.

3. The garbage bag holder of claim 1 wherein the bottom member includes a plurality of spaced upstanding walls defining a plurality of spaced compartments for the. accumulation of garbage fluids from the garbage bag, the upper ends of said walls defining the bag-supporting surface'ofthe bottom member. A

4. The garbage bag holder of claim 1 wherein the locking means comprisescat'ch means releasablyengageably engageable in registering openings in. the container" wall and bottom member.- v I 5. The garbage bag holder of claim 1 whereinthe locking means comprises a rod releasablyv receivable through registering openings in opposed sides of the container wall. V

6. The garbage bag holder of claim 5 wherein the rod' isprovided with spaced notches one reg-istrable with each of the opposed sides of the container wall for securing the rodreleasably'thereto.

7. A garbage bag holder, comprising a hollowfupstanding container'wall open at its top and bottom ends and adapted to receive a garbage bag therein, the container wall being rectangular in shape and collapsible at its corners to substantially flatconditiom'a bottom member proportioned to be received freely within the bottomfend of the container wall from the "bottom end thereof, the bottom member including a plurality of spaced upstanding walls defining a plurality of spaced compartments for the accumulation of garbage .fiuids from a garbage bag,

, the upper ends of said upstanding walls defining the bag supporting-surface of. the bottom member, and locking of the finger openings 18, to the location of a conventional large garbage can. With the; assembly resting on a floor, the locking rod 42 or catches 46 are retracted outwardly through the associated openings in the sidewalls of the container, thereby disconnecting the bottom member and container wall from each other. The container wall then" meanssupported by the container wall and. projecting re tractably inward thereof below the bag-supporting surface of the bottom member for releasably'securing the latter against downward movement relative to the bottom end of the container wall.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,072,283; 1/63 Cross at al. 220- 31 

1. A GARBAGE BAG HOLDER, COMPRISING A HOLLOW UPSTANDING CONTAINER WALL OPEN AT ITS TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A GARBAGE BAG THEREIN, A BOTTOM MEMBER HAVING A BAG-SUPPORTING SURFACE AND PROPORTIONED TO FIT WITHIN AND RELEASABLY CLOSE THE BOTTOM END OF THE CONTAINER WALL, AND LOCKING MEANS SUPPORTED BY THE CONTAINER WALL AND PROJECTING RETRACTABLY INWARD THEREOF BELOW THE BAG-SUPPORTING SURFACE OF THE BOTTOM MEMBER FOR RELEASABLY SECURING THE LATTER AGAINST DOWNWARD MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BOTTOM END OF THE CONTAINER WALL, THE CONTAINER WAL AND BOTTOM MEMBER BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE UPON RELEASE OF THE LOCKING MEANS TO PERMIT SEPARATION OF THE CONTAINER WALL UPWARDLY AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM MEMBER AND FROM AROUND A GARBAGE BAG RESTING ON THE BOTTOM MEMBER. 